The Thing
by Milliano
Summary: As another year of training rolls around for Class 1A, Uraraka notices Midori acting strangely, seeming sickly and unwell. Trying to support her classmate and investigate what's happening, she finds the situation to be a lot darker than she could have possibly expected...
1. Chapter 2

The bell ended the stupor of class, as Uraraka closed the book in front of her with a heavy thud.

"Alright, class. Go enjoy your lunch. Or don't, I don't really care, just be back here and in your seats by the time bell rings or you'll be running laps."

Uraraka stood up, sliding her book into her desk before heading for the door. Tenya shot up next to her, a whirr of speed shooting from his calves.

"Uraraka! Would you mind if I accompany you to lunch!"

"Sure, Tenya! You don't have to be so formal; you know I love eating with you!"

"I just didn't want to intrude," Tenya smiled.

Uraraka looked for Midoriya among the students, only to see him hurry out the door ahead of them.

"Hey, Midoriya, wait…!"

Before she'd finished speaking, Midoriya was long gone.

"He does seem unwell," Tenya said, a hint of worry in his voice.

"He must be running to get sick. He's so used to playing the hero he must not want us taking care of him."

"He's a loyal friend, but he needs to rely on others more. Some days I feel he wants to carry the world on his back, no matter how much it hurts him."

"Do you want to talk with him whenever he's finished? Just to make sure he's OK."

"I'd be honoured to," Tenya responded, bowing his head.

The two made their ways to the mess hall, where their classmates had already gotten their meals. Today, fried rice with beef and veg. They grabbed a tray, taking a seat down next to their friends, Tsuyu Asui and Mina Ashido, who were eagerly chowing down on their meals.

"Hello, classmates. How is the day treating you, Asui?"

"Call me Tsu," the frog girl responded, eyes focused on the last piece of beef sitting atop Ahisdo's pile of rice.

Ashido turned, eagerly waving as she smiled at her companions. Out of the corner of her eye, Uraraka watched as Tsu's tongue sailed across the table, plucking the beef from the plate as it disappeared down her throat.

"Hey, where'd my…?" Ashido asked, before scowling at Tsu.

"Sorry," Tsu shrugged simply, as Tenya, ever-the-gentleman, offered Ashdio a piece, which she eagerly took. "Where's Midoriya?"

"He's feeling a bit under the weather, I think," Uraraka shrugged.

"I hope he feels better after lunch. Bakugo was saying some troubling things about the duelling later, he seemed quite angry."

The group turned, looking over at Bakugo, who was screaming in a fury at Kirishima and Tetsutestu, yelling about… well, exact words were hard to make out of the stream of swears and rage, but he was definitely yelling.

"Bakugo's always angry. At this point, I'm worried we're just training him up to go full haywire and become a villain," Tsu says. "I mean, what's the point of training his powers if he's not making any improvement on being… you know, heroic?"

"I always wondered what I'd be like as a villain. Pinky, Alien Overlord!" A

As she did, however, a stream of white goo shot out of her hands, squirting straight into Tenshi's face, covering it with a thick layer.

"Umm… oops," Ashido giggled. "Don't worry, that's the least acidic I can do, you should be fine!"

Tenya paused, white gloop covering his face. He sighed, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping his face clean.

"It's quite alright. Although, I must admit, I don't think Pinky is a name that strikes fear into my heart. If you were going to be a supervillain, I'd go for something more impressive."

"Just Alien Overlord? Gosh, I don't know. It was hard enough picking my normal hero name! Why, what would you be, Tenya?"

"Oh, I don't know. I don't think I ever could be a villain."

"You did a pretty good job of it that time you took me and Midoriya on when you defended that bomb!"

"Oh yes," Tenya smiles. "That was just roleplay. Although, I suppose if I had to, I would be the fearsome… Engine-Fist!"

"Wouldn't that imply you have engines on your fists instead of your calves?" Tsu pointed out.

"Engine Calf isn't as impressive," Uraraka chuckled. "What about you, Tsu? What would you go for?"

"Froppy," Tsu answered. "It works for a hero and villain, don't ya think?"

Urakara chuckled, chowing into her food as she waited for Midoriya to show up to eat. However, as the clock kept ticking down towards the end of lunch, her worry began to grow.

"Hey, I think I might go check on Midoriya. He hasn't eaten lunch; I might bring him some!"

"That's very kind of you, Urakara! Would you like me to come with you?" Tenya offered.

"Nah, you finish your lunch with the girls. I'll see you when class starts."

Urakara headed to the lunch lady, grabbing a large bowl of what fried rice hadn't been devoured by UA's superpowered students, bringing it to the boy's bathrooms just by Class 1A. She knocked sharply on the door, waiting for a response. After a moment, a black feathered head popped out the door, staring at her.

"Tokoyami! Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Of course. What is it, Urakara?"

"I was wondering if Midoriya was in there! I'm bringing him lunch!"

"I'm afraid the bathrooms were empty. I didn't see any sign of him."

"Oh," Urakara frowned. "Maybe he's…"

The bell burst to life, a sharp ringing filling the air. Within a few moments, the hallways began to start filling with students heading to class.

"Give it to him when he gets to class, he might be able to eat a bit before Aizawa gets back,"

"I will! See you in class. Good luck in this afternoon's duels!"

"We won't need it!" a raspy voice chuckles, Dark Shadow poking his head out from behind his back.

"Same to you, Urakara," Tokoyami nods in response.

As Tokoyami disappears off towards the classroom, Urakara frowned, thinking of the places Deku could've gotten to, before spotting a familiar head of dark hair among the students walking to class. She leaned in, tapping Midoriya on the shoulder with a smile.

"Hey, Deku!"

"Oh, hey. What's up?" Midoriya smiled, turning around.

Admittedly, Midoriya looked quite sickly. Bags hung underneath his eyes, his skin was clammy and pale, and his face seemed especially gaunt. He gave a half-hearted smile, before his dark eyes darted down to the food. Midoriya's stomach rumbled loudly, as he licked his lips. Urakara laughed, smiling at him.

"Hungry? I notice you weren't there for lunch."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Midoriya smiles, scratching his head. "So, can I have some?"

"Sure, it's for you!" Uraraka smiled, as Midoriya eagerly grabbed the bowl, tipping it over as the rice and meat tumbled into his mouth.

Within thirty second, the bowl was empty, as Midoriya smiled. A few grains of rice sat on his lips, which he licked up eagerly.

"Are you doing OK, Midoriya? You really don't seem well."

"I was feeling sick, so I went to see Recovery Girl. She said I'm coming down with something, gave me one of these."

Deku held out a small syringe, containing a pale, purple mixture. Midoriya extended his hand, finding a vein as he stuck it into his vein, pressing down on the plunger. He breathed a sigh of relief, and as the liquid disappeared into his veins, he seemed to grow healthier almost instantly. The colour came back to his face, as the gaunt, almost starved-like appearance seemed to vanish within a moment.

"Oh, that's so much better!" Midoriya grinned from ear-to-ear. "God, this feels good."

"Good! I'm glad you feel better! I was getting worried about you!" she said in relief. "Come on, let's get into class."

Urakara headed into class, taking her seat as Midoriya strolled over to his. Within time, Aizawa returned to the class, the same bored look on his face as always.

"Alright, settle down, class. As I said earlier, we're going to pair you up for some sparring duels. Let's not get too violent, understood? This is training, not a full competition. I want to see how you can restrain your powers as much as anything else, understood?"

"Yes, sir," the class answered.

Well, all of the class barring one. Eraserhead sighed, eyes narrowing.

"Bakugo?"

"Yes, sir," Bakugo snarls through gritted teeth. "I know who I want to face."

Aizawa stares over at Midoriya, who leans back in his chair with surprising ease.

"Funnily enough, I did tell myself I'd put anyone who was late up against you. Given it was Midoriya… I guess I'll stick to

"Good," Bakugo growls, in a strange mixture of anger and joy. "You hear that, Deku? I'm coming for you."

"Fine by me," Midoriya smiles, as you hear Bakugo's teeth grinding themselves down to the gums.

"Midoriya's awfully confident today, isn't he?" Tenya says. "It's not like him."

"I think that sickness is messing with his head a little," Tsu whispers from the seat behind you.

"He doesn't look sick. Normally, when I'm sick, I look all like this," Toru says, before presumably striking a face.

Aizawa reads out the remaining pairings, as Urakara heard who her opponent was: Yuga Aoyama, the shining hero: Can't stop Twinkling.

"What a name," Urakara muttered under her breath.

"What a name indeed," Aoyama smiles, leaning in close to Urakara as she jumps.

"Oh, hey! I didn't see you there," Urakara said sheepishly, scratching her head.

"I saw you, mon cherie, and let me assure you, it is a pleasure. Of course, I'm afraid I won't be going easy on you this afternoon! When I shine, I don't hold back!"

"I think I'll be able to handle it, Aoyama."

"Come on, let's get going already! We're just wasting time by staying here!" Aizawa complains loudly. "Let's go to the practice field! This is going to be open-air combat!"

"That I can do," Bakugo snarls, as the class begins to head for the door.

Bakugo, on the other hand, immediately makes his way over to Deku, grabbing him and slamming him against a desk. Surprisingly, Midoriya just smiles up at him, confident as ever.

"I'm going to kick your ass and show you once and for all that I'm the number one here! Got it? You're just nothing, you understand? Nothing!"

Bakugo glares down at Midoriya, hands glowing in anger.

"Alright, Bakugo, save your…" Eraserhead begins, before pausing, blinking for a moment.

Urakara pauses as well, staring in disbelief for a moment. The class falls silent, as Bakugo seems confused for a moment, a glob of blackish spit running down his face. He touches it tentatively with his index and middle finger, staring at it, mouth agape.

"Did… did you just… spit on me?!" Bakugo growls, as Midoriya laughs to himself.

Urakara winces, as in an explosion of fire and fury, Bakugo bursts forward with a roar.


	2. Chapter 3

With a fury unlike anything you've ever seen, Bakugo pounces forward, swinging his fists as they turn to a burning inferno. However, as quickly as the lit,

"Bakugo!" Aizawa growled. "Sit down!"

Eraserhead's bandages fly out at incredible speed, wrapping around Bakugo's limbs and pulling him back. Like a feral animal, Bakugo begins gnawing at the bandages, screaming and yelling as he does so.

"Holy shit, Midoriya!" Mineta gasps, staring in complete shock.

"Mineta! Midoriya's behaviour is no excuse for swearing in class!" Tenya says, although even he seems more aghast.

"Sorry, I just mean… holy shit! What were you thinking, Midoriya?"

Midoriya laughed coldly in response, staring at an enraged Bakugo. After a moment, Bakugo goes limp in Eraserhead's trap, staring forward.

"I'm fine now," he says, although given the expression he has on his face, that couldn't be farther from the truth.

"If you lay a hand on Midoriya in my classroom, I will personally see you expelled. You will never be a pro if that happens, understood, Bakugo?"

"I understand," Bakugo replies tersely, his body shaking as he's released.

Bakugo stands gently, teeth clenched. The room is silent for a moment, watching him just glares with an intensity so powerful Uraraka was shocked Midoriya didn't just burst into flames himself.

"I'm very worried about Midoriya," Tenya whispered to Uraraka.

"I'm worried for Midoriya," Kaminari says. "What the hell is he thinking pissing Bakugo off like that?"

"He's gotta have a death wish," Sero mutters.

Bakugo takes a deep breath, still trembling.

"Sir, will I still be competing against Midoriya in our duels today?" Bakugo asks, voice near a whisper.

Aizawa looks at Midoriya, who smiles as a response.

"It works for me."

"Perhaps this will be a lesson in restraint for you, young Bakugo. The two of you can fight, but I'll expect both of you to have restraint."

Flames still burst and patter along Bakugo's fingers as he nods slowly.

"A _lot_ of restraint, Bakugo."

Bakugo gave another slow nod in response.

"I'll see you on the playing field, Deku."

Without another word, Bakugo pivoted and quickly headed for the door.

"Is there something I need to know, Midoriya?" Aizawa asks, staring at a calm and collected Midoriya.

"What was I supposed to do? The dude's a bully, he doesn't do anything but push people around. Isn't stopping people like him what heroes are supposed to do?"

"I wouldn't have called spitting in your classmate's face heroic, Midoriya. What's come over you?" Tenya asks.

Midoriya simply shrugs as response.

"Let's head out to the green, shall we?" Midoriya chuckles, standing up.

"Come on, class. Let's get going," Aizawa says. "This is going to be an interesting evening."

The afternoon duels were mostly restrained, especially for Class 1A. Most seemed focused on Bakugo and Midori. Given that the fights had no stakes, classmates were free to test new tactics and styles of fighting without risk.

The rules of the game were simple. Two students stood in a large circle. Each contestant was given a pair of handcuffs and sent at their opponent. To win, you either had to force your opponent to submit, force them out of the circle or put your opponent in handcuffs. Simple.

Uraraka won her match, managing to send Ojiro out of the ring with a well-timed drop of a chunk of dirt. Other wins of note were Toru managing to get Koji Koda to accidentally walk outside the room after trying to find her and Mezo Shoji managing to send Minoru Mineta flying into the bleachers. Finally, as Dark Shadow slowly led a now-moronic Kaminari out of the circle, all eyes were on Bakugo, who was doing push-ups at the edge of the ring, clapping with a burst of flames on each push up while muttering and swearing.

"Pretty birdy," Kaminari said, starting to drool slightly.

"Alright. Bakugo, Midoriya, you're up," Aizawa said.

Uraraka begin to tremble, watching as Bakugo quickly rushed to his side of the ring. Midoriya walked at a slow pace, seeming calm.

"He said his power was making him sick," she though to herself, filled with worry. "He shouldn't be using it for something like this."

The two combatants received their pair of handcuffs. Midoriya strapped his onto his costume's belt. Bakugo threw his aside, making clear that he didn't plan on using it.

"Ready, Bakugo?" Aizawa asked.

Bakugo nodded slowly, refusing to break eye contact with Midori.

"Ready, Midoriya?"

"Oh yeah. Kacchan's not going to try to hurt me."

Bakugo laughed, eyes burning.

"Oh, I am definitely going to hurt you, Deku!" Bakugo spat.

"No you won't. Because then…"

"You may begin the duel," Aizawa said, a sliver of interest entering his dry voice.

"…then you won't learn the secret of my power, Bakugo."

Bakugo, surprisingly, did not spring forward like usual, blasting himself towards his prey with a fearsome scream. Instead, he walked forward at a quick pace, a furious look of determination on his face. Although, there was a spark of curiosity in his eyes.

"Talk, Deku."

"Haven't you ever wondered where my power came from, Bakugo? What happened to poor little weak, defenceless Deku?"

Midoriya began walking forward to, almost sauntering forward.

"It happened when we were only kids, Bakugo. Something happened to us. Something we both forgot. But it instilled a power in us. One that had to be awakened."

"You aren't making sense, loser!" Bakugo snarled, although he seemed unsure.

The two drew closer, although Bakugo had slowed, clearly wanting to hear more.

"Don't you remember, Bakugo? The light from when we were kids?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Deku?! Answer me!"

The two were only a couple feet away now, although now, they merely walked towards each other. Neither seemed ready to strike, however.

"Haven't you ever wondered about the scars on your wrists? They're faint now, hard to see, but they're there. As are mine."

Bakugo looked down at his wrists for a moment, holding them out in front of him. He looked confused, shaking his head slowly.

"I don't see any…!"

Bakugo was interrupted by the clinking of metal on metal.

For a moment, the entire crowd was silent. The silence was broken by Midoriya, who started laughing, as all eyes focused on the pair of handcuffs Midoriya had quickly slapped on Bakugo's wrists. Midoriya broke into heavy laughter, as Bakugo just stood there, almost incapable of processing what had happened.

"I can't believe you fell for that! A made-up incident about some stupid repressed childhood memory! God, you are dumb!" Midoriya said, before bursting into laughter.

Aizawa quickly moved forward, his bandages shooting forward to grab Bakugo, as h fixes his gaze on him.

"I'm going to erase you," Bakugo said, before he lets out a roar of anger.

"Pragmatic move, Midoriya. Not your usual style, but it worked," Aizawa said, before pausing for a moment, almost unsure of himself. "Alright class, that's it for the day. Sero, take Bakugo off my hands for a while, would you?"

"Umm… what am I going to do with him?"

"Whatever," Aizawa shrugged.

Sero begin using his quick to enwrap a still enraged Bakugo until he was completely mummified, although still wriggling and struggling intensely.

"Better. Midoriya, stay behind. I want to talk to you."

Midoriya stood there, still snickering at Bakugo.

"Yeah, OK, sure," Midoriya laughed.

Uraraka watched as the pair walked back towards the school, as Tenya muttered something in disbelief.

"I can't believe Midoriya would stoop to such lows!" Tenya exclaimed.

"It was smart, though. I wouldn't have wanted to face Bakugo head-on with the mood he was in."

"He would've been killed," Asui says. "Or he would've killed Bakugo. Can't really say which."

"Midoriya's faced him before, and he's always fought head on," Tenya says.

"Yeah… but he was feeling sick because of his power earlier. Perhaps he knew he couldn't rely on it."

"Still…" Tenya says. "Will we talk to him after he's finished with Aizawa, Uraraka? To make sure he's alright?"

"Sure," Uraraka replied, brow furrowed as she stared at Aizawa and Midoriya walking off, unable to make our what they were talking about."

"Count me in too!" Tsui said, leaping forward and landing next to them.

The trio watched their teacher and friend walking off for a moment towards the teacher's facilities, before turning and heading back themselves.


	3. Chapter 4

Shota Aizawa walked alongside his young charge, the prodigy Izuku Midoriya. The kid was certainly the kid with the most potential out of all of them, but he was reckless, prone to injury and quite frankly, stupid. Not in the way of his exams, perhaps, which Aizawa found to be acceptable, at the very least, but the sort of almost plucky stupidity so common in new, idealistic heroes. He'd throw himself to the dogs to protect his friends, even when it might be smarter to run and live to fight another day. Still, the kid had guts and a heart.

Perhaps, Aizawa thought, that was why his behaviour was so surprising today. Alarming, even. Midoriya was friendly to a fault, even to Bakugo, who seemed to hold Midoriya in absolute contempt. Well, Bakugo held everyone in contempt, but Midoriya especially. Still, somehow Midoriya viewed Bakugo as a genuine friend, so to see him treat Bakugo with such contempt was… interesting, to say the least.

"Tell me, Midoriya, has something happened recently? Is there something you want to talk to me about?"

"No, can't say there is. I'm just getting sick of being picked on so much," Midoriya shrugged. "Bakugo's a grade A jerk."

"If you're sure there's nothing you want to talk to me about, I understand. Still, I'd like you to talk to Mr Yagi."

"Of course," Midoriya nods, as the two walked on in silence.

The two soon arrived at the door to the teacher's lounge, pushing it open with a swing. Midoriya stepped inside, eyes scanning the room, while Toshinori Yagi sat at the teacher's desk, looking sick and tired. His rail thin, lanky frame rested wearily in his cheat, as he coughed blood into a hankerchief. However, he cracked his famous smile upon seeing Midoriya, back straightening as he attempted to look better-off than he was.

"Hey, kid! How are you doing?"

"Uh… pretty good. Classes were interesting, I think I learned a lot."

"Midoriya's been acting a little hostile in class."

"Thanks, Shota. I appreciate you telling me. What do you say, kid, are you up for talking?" Yagi asked with a smile.

"Oh, thanks, I'd love to, but I'm afraid I think I'll have to leave it for a bit, Mr Aizawa wanted me to talk to All Might."

Yagi's draw dropped for a moment, his eyes widening.

"What did you say, Izuku?"

Midoriya seemed to quickly realize he'd said something wrong, stumbling to come up with an excuse.

"Sorry, I have no idea what I'm talking about, my head's been all fuzzy since this morning. I've been sort of been sick all morning… All Might."

All Might's dark eyes narrowed for a moment, staring in at Midoriya, who for the first time all day was starting to seem nervous.

"Hey, kid, I've a question for you. What was the name of your power, again?"

"Umm… look, I'm feeling really sick, can we just…?"

As fast as the wind itself, All Might, transformed into all his muscular glory, raced forward, lightly but firmly pinning Midoriya against the wall, staring at him.

"Sorry if this is you, kid, but I need to be sure. Eraserhead, do your thing."

"Wait, wait! Don't take my power, it's the only thing holding me together! All that fighting and all the injuries I've taken have crippled my bodily systems, I can't survive without using my powers to reinforce them! Please!" Midoriya yelled frantically, but All Might didn't seem to believe a word of it.

"Aizawa," he said, still glaring at his prodigy.

Erasherhead focused his stare on Midoriya, activating his quirk. As soon as he did, Midoriya begin yelping, his face seeming shift into one of pain… before shifting almost entirely. Midoriya's nose grew slightly, weight rapidly disappearing as limbs stretched until a lanky, frail teen's body was all that remained. Midoriya's black hair fell out in clumps, quickly leaving a skinnier, shaved head in its place. The colour drained from his green eyes, leaving only grey, as scars appeared all over his body, from slashes across his face to deep gouge wounds on his arms. After a moment, whatever it was stopped writhing, panting heavily as All Might held it in his grip.

"OK, OK! I've been lying!" the thing said, its voice now deeper, gravellier. "I'm… I'm your illegitimate son, All Might. That's why my powers are so similar to yours. And just like you, I'm secretly far, far weaker, but I can transform into my heroic form. And now that you know the truth…"

"I don't know the hell you are, but unless I start getting better answers than that, you're going to be in serious trouble," All Might said, in as menacing a voice as the symbol for justice and peace could.

The shapeshifter swung his free arm, his fingertips glowing into long claws as he slashed at All Might's face. However, the number one hero dodged with ease, before pinning the free arm under the shapeshifter's body. The shapeshifter began laughing in response, not a hint of worry on his face.

"Holy shit, that was funny! I can't believe the looks on your faces! Honestly, you should see yourselves!"

The shapeshifter continued laughing for a moment, as a trickle of worry appeared on All Might's face.

"Who are you? What have you done with Midoriya?!"

"I'm actually just a figment of your imagination! Spooky, right?" the shapeshifter laughed. "This is all just a dream. You've passed out on the toilet again, old timer. Shit, by the way, is that really you, All Might? I was planning to kill you in your sleep if I got the chance, but seeing you like this, you might actually die in your sleep anyway!"

The shapeshifter broke into hysterical laughter one more time.

"He's no younger than one of my students," Aizawa said. "Probably just some misguided kid."

"You're right. I'm just some poor kid, stuck on the wrong path," the shapeshifter said, snivelling for a moment. "I was raised by my poor grandparents in absolute poverty, sharing one big bed with them. However, I got the chance to make my dreams come true when I found a golden ticket that let me have a tour of a chocolate…"

The shapeshifter continued rambling on, laughing to himself every so often, as All Might stared at his fellow educator.

"We're going to need to find out what happened to Midoriya as quick as we can. Every second wasted is another second Midoriya could be in danger."

"We'll have to ask the other students if they noticed anything. Cracking this kid is going to be tough."

"Thanks, Eraserhead! I was actually worried all your hippy hero bullshit artists were going to miss the nuances of my greatness," the shapeshifter. "Just so you know, your little prodigy Midoriya's gone for good. You're really going to just have to deal with it. You could bury an empty casket, that's supposed to give closure!" the shapeshifter said, suppressing a giggle. "God, I can't believe how fucking decrepit you're looking, old man! Come on, from one skin-changer to another, slip off that muscular mask of yours. Give me another look at the ragged skin and bones underneath."

"You've got a lot of anger and evil inside of you, kid. I'm sorry for that. It's not your fault. Someone's set you down the wrong path in life. But I need you to start talking to me, or I won't be able to help you!"

The teen snarled, teeth sharpening into points as he attempted to bite All Might's nose off, although the number one hero kept him firmly pinned against the wall. Struggling to move, the shapeshifter spit a blob of phlegm right between Yagi's eyes.

"Don't you fucking dare act like you want to help me! There ain't any goddamn cameras here, stop putting on the same goddamn show as always!"

"We need to secure this kid somewhere safe. Make sure there's a tracking device implanted in him so he can't pretend to be anyone else."

"Jeez, All Might. Putting secret tracking devices into a poor young teen? You're a real pervert, you know that? No wonder you wanted to teach at a school like UA, huh?"

"Come on, Aizawa,

"Alright, let's go. Just so you know, skin-changer, I'm going to find my student. I take full responsibility for Izuku Midoriya's safety and well-being, and I won't let you harm him."

"Oh, don't worry, he's going to suffer a hell of a lot, don't you worry. They're going to take your perfect little icon and they're going to ruin him! You understand me?!"

As they dragged the laughing, starved teen off, Shota Aizawa felt a glimmer of fear for his pupil.


	4. Chapter 5

Izuku Midoriya woke up feeling like death itself. His veins burned with an unnatural pain, his vision was fuzzy and couldn't see a thing in the cold, dark room. His body writhed, his skin feeling clammy and hot, his voice hoarse from what could've only been from screaming for hours. He had been fading in and out of consciousness for the past few hours, although it had felt like centuries of agony.

A harsh light appeared above Midoriya, as he groaned in pain, shielding his eyes. He rolled over on the hard metal bed he was lying on, the thin mattress he had been given having been tossed aside in his sleep. His eyes slowly adjusted to the light, as he looked around the cell he was in. The floors and walls were just barren concrete, a large steel door and a stained toilet the only other two features of the room. His mouth dry, Midoriya leaned over the bed and vomited black bile and phlegm on the ground, before collapsing into the bed again. He weakly raised his hand, scratching at a tight metal collar around his neck.

"What's wrong with me?" Midoriya thought frantically through his hazy, exhausted mind. "Something's gone terribly wrong!"

Static burst through the silence, before a loud, booming voice came through the sound system.

"Prisoner 492, it is time to get up. We must begin Experiment 90132."

Midoriya heard the sound of a slot opening. Tilting his head to the side, Midoriya saw a metal cup filled with water and a small plastic cup filled with what looked like pills.

"Prisoner 492, please proceed to the pills and water that have been placed in your room and consume them both."

Midoriya took a deep breath, leaning over and attempting to stand. Leaning heavily against the concrete wall, he managed to extend his legs and shakily stand.

"Who are you?" he groaned.

"Prisoner 492, please proceed to the pills and water that have been placed in your room and consume them both. This is your first caution."

"Don't just ignore me! Who are you? Where am I? What do you want with me?"

There's a pause, as Midoriya hesitantly waited for the voice from the speaker to respond.

"Prisoner 492, please proceed to the pills and water that have been placed in your room and consume them both. This is your second caution."

"Answer me! Tell me something!" Midoriya yelled.

Suddenly, Midoriya's metal collar sent a wave of electricity through him, as he collapsed to the ground with a yell, bashing his head against the ground. Still, Midoriya hastily stood up again, refusing to be beat.

"I'm not doing anything until you tell me what's going on!"

"Prisoner 492, please proceed to the pills and water that have been…" the voice stopped for a moment, sighing. "Look, kid, I bet you can probably tell from your new name, but you're not the only person we've dealt with. We've had dozens of men who were stronger than you, smarter than you and more heroic than you imprisoned here. All were broken. This is going to go a lot better for you if you just obey instructions."

"I'm a hero. I will never give in!"

Midoriya let out a yell, charging forward as he swung, trying to channel the power of One for All, only to find his strength having vanished. His fist clanked pitifully against the door as his body spasmed, muscles uncontrollable as they coursed with electricity. Midoriya collapsed to the ground, yelping in pain.

"Wrong choice, kid."

Electricity burst through Mirodriya's body, sending his shuddering into the depths of unconsciousness as the pain became unbearable.


	5. Chapter 6

Shota Aizawa started at the shapeshifter through the one-way mirror. He seemed almost jovial, leaning back in his chair with one arm stretched behind his back, eagerly wolfing down the burgers he'd been provided as dinner. All Might, in his less than super-form, stood next to him, watching the prisoner intensely.

"His appetite is unrelenting for someone so skinny, isn't it?" Aizawa noted.

"It's probably related to his perk. I'd imagine changing your body like he does must consume a lot of calories."

"Perhaps we could cut back on his meals, use that as leverage to get him to talk to us."

"Aizawa, we're not going to starve him into submission. What did you hear from the rest of your students?"

"They definitely noticed something wasn't up with him. Uraraka said he had injected himself with a black vial of liquid earlier. I searched Midoriya's room, and while I couldn't find any sign of our missing student, we found these."

Aizawa motioned to a small metal box, flipping open the lid to reveal a dozen black syringes, minus one, all used

"What are they?" Yagi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The lab results were inconclusive. From the best we can tell, it seems to be some sort of medicine, meant to counteract a slow-acting poison or toxic, but we can't be sure."

"That at least explains the kid's motives. He's not some villain, he's being threatened into this. Look at him. Those scars show us he hasn't been well-treated, wherever he's from. He must have been poisoned by whoever's controlling him and is being coerced into serving them in exchange for these vials."

"You always do see the best side of people, don't you?"

"Do you disagree, Aizawa?"

"I've no doubt whoever's controlling the shapeshifter is using the toxins to ensure his loyalty. The scars could be construed towards the narrative of the poor little victim, but I don't see it. The behaviour he's displayed since his arrival has been nothing short of villainous, and he's attempted to use those teeth of his to bite off the fingers of anyone who gets close to him. The scars could just as easily be self-inflicted, given his unstable mental health, or a result of violent fighting, given his aggressive nature. Given the evidence, this isn't just a kid going down the wrong path, this is a villain with the potential to do a lot of harm."

"Is there a difference?" All Might asked. "Every student in UA has the potential to do serious harm if they end up on the wrong path. What makes him different?"

"The only difference between any of us and the worst villains imaginable are the choices we make. In my eyes, he made his choice," Aizawa said simply. "We're going to need to begin interrogating him again. Let me handle it, alright?"

"Aizawa, you know I would do anything to protect Izuku. _Anything_," Toshinori Yagi responded. "But I'm going to protect all children, that kid included."

"Don't worry, I'm a hero just like you. I won't actually cause any harm to the boy," Aizawa says. "Just trust me, Toshinori."

"Let me talk to him first. To try to connect with him."

"You have five minutes."

"That's all I'll need."

The two moved through the door, greeted with the smile of a great-white, as the scarred teen revealed a mouthful of sharpened teeth.

"Hello there, boys! I just polished off the burgers, and I was wondering if you can get me a bit more grub, eh?"

Aizawa stared at the teen for a moment, his sharpened teeth reverting to normalcy.

"God, you heroes are so boring! You can't even let me have a little bit of fun."

"Listen to me, kid. I know you're scared. I know you've been through a lot. But I want to help you. My name is Toshinori Yagi, but you probably know me better as All Might."

"Oh, I know who you are, All Might. I gotta say, you're looking worse for wear, eh?"

"I can't say you look too good either, kid. What happened to you?"

"Oh, these?" the kid asked, gesturing at the scars that covered his body. "I must've slept on it funny, I suppose."

The prisoner laughed for a moment, before pointing to the burger wrappers left on the table.

"So what's going on with my burgers? Am I getting more of them?"

"I know what it's like to wear a face other than my own, you know," Yagi said. "It must be hard for you to have to…"

"Oh, stick it up your ass, super. Let's cut through the meat of all this, yeah? That kid of yours, Midoriya? I don't know how he's related to you, whether he's your kid or your prodigy or your goddamn lover, you ain't ever going to see him again!" the young boy laughed. "They're gong to cut

"Oh goddammit, stop trying to analyse me, you clown! You think I'm going to dance to your fucking tune like the rest of the world? You're just some prick with a saviour complex and the good luck to be born with whatever the hell power you have!"

Yagi sighed, shaking his head slowly in disappointment.

"I want to help you. I really do."

"Go get me another few burgers than, old man. And while you're at it, why don't you show your real face to the rest of the world. Or is the symbol of peace such a coward that he can't even do that?"

"This isn't working. We're running out of time," Aizawa said. "Leave this to me."

"He's just scared, Aizawa! He doesn't mean what he's saying!"

"Oh, you think I'm scared? Let me tell you, you don't know the meaning of fear. You want to know who's scared? That little moron of yours, now he's scared. But not as scared as he should be, not as scared as if he really knew how much of a hell that place really was."

"What place is that?" Yagi asked.

"You really want to know?" the boy asked, before leaning in as his voice dropped to a whisper. "You really want to learn the horror of where Izuku Midoriya is?"

The boy paused for a moment, eyes scanning the room.

"He's… tied up and stuck in between your mom's big fat ass, you super-clown!"

The boy burst into hysterical laughter again, as Aizawa sighed.

"Out of the way," Aizawa said, pushing All-Might aside to stare into the boy's eyes. "Now we're going to play it my way."

"Oh, I'm quaking in my boots, cowboy!" the boy smiled. "What the fuck are you going to do? You're heroes! You can't torture me, and even if you could, you think I'd break? Trust me, I've been through torture you sacks of shit can't even imagine!"

Aizawa wordless brought up the metal case, unclasping it as he put it onto the table. The top swung open, revealing the syringes of black ichor.

"What's that?" the boy asked, the humour in his voice vanishing for a moment.

"We both know what this is. This is the only thing keeping the toxin in your blood from killing you, isn't it? Now, if you don't start answering questions, you're not going to get even a drop of what's in these syringes."

The boy's eyes widened for a moment, before his cocky smirk returned.

"You're bluffing. Even if you weren't, you'll give them to me eventually. You two won't just sit and watch me die in here. Hell, you bastards can't go two seconds without tooting your own horn to talk about how heroic you are."

"From what Ochaco Uraraka said, you needed it this morning. Assuming you arrived here recently, and you would've taken a syringe at the last moment before arriving in order to not have to smuggle in as many syringes, it's not going to be long before you need another hit. If I had to guess, you must have to take these every twelve hours, correct?"

The smile slid off the boy's face, confirming Aizawa's guess. Aizawa pulled a syringe out of the container, admiring it in his hands.

"You won't be able to stand watching me suffer in here," the boy repeated. "You'll break before I will. I guaran-fucking-tee it."

"You're right. Eventually, one of the other teachers would force me to give it to you. So let's ensure that's not an option."

Aizawa dropped the syringe, as the boys eyes widened, frantically grabbing for the syringe, only to miss by inches.

"Aizawa!" All Might shouted, as the syringe smashed against the ground, black liquid spilling onto the floor.

"Fucking bastard!" the boy growled, staring at the black liquid pooling onto the ground.

"It's a strange looking liquid, isn't it? Almost seems to absorb the light. Are you going to tell me what they are, exactly, or do I need to break another?"

"You're bluffing," the boy said. "You might break one, sure, but that's only twelve hours. You wouldn't…"

Aizawa grabbed another syringe, flinging it against the wall without a hint of emotion as it smashed open.

"Toshinori, either sit down and be quiet or leave the room," Aizawa said. "I'm handling this. Trust me."

All Might stared at Eraserhead for a moment. Aizawa was demanding, aggressive and cold, but he was one of the best heroes in the world.

"I trust you," he said.

"Good. Now, let's continue, shall we? What's in the vials?"

"You won't break me, dammit!" the shapeshifter yelled.

A loud smash sounded through the room as another syringe was smashed. The boy's eyes were fixed on the remaining eight, his breathing heavy. Slowly, Aizawa slid another syringe out of the box, holding it out in front of the teen as his bandages flew forward, tying the child's legs to the chair. The shapeshifter struggled against his bindings, his body shifting and shaping as he attempted to shapeshift his legs free, but with no success.

"Let me go, god… NO!"

Another vial was smashed against the wall, as Aizawa looked down at him.

"That leaves seven. Eighty four hours. Doesn't seem like a lot when you put it like that, does it?"

"I… I know what this is," the boy said. "You've figured it out, haven't you? You know how to reproduce that stuff, there's gotta be like fifty crates of it in the other room, isn't there?!"

"Come on, now. You're a smart boy. You know if we could recreate it, I wouldn't be wasting time asking you what was in it. But more than that, if your master thought there was any chance we could recreate this, he'd have infused your blood with a more complicated toxin, wouldn't he?"

The boy stared back wordlessly, head shaking with anger. He gritted his teeth shut, before Aizawa shattered another vial.

"Six left."

"You don't know what that's going to do to me! Seriously, you can't do this to me. The pain… it burns the blood, tears the flesh… it's unbearable! You can't put me through that!"

"Then you better start talking," Aizawa said, smashing another vial.

"How the fuck can you do this to me?! You're heroes! You're just a bunch of liars! You're as bad as the villains you fight!"

Aizawa chuckled, flashing a rare smile at his prisoner, although it's a smile dripping with cruelty.

"Our little golden boy might be a hero. I've never been a big fan of labels, really," Aizawa said. "I'm whatever I need to be. Really, as long as I'm not directly hurting you, I'm keeping to my vows. All I'm doing is not protecting you from the harm your master caused you."

Aizawa smashed another vial between his fingers without a hint of emotion on his face.

"Four left. Only two days. You better start giving me answers."

"Fuck you! When I get out of here, you're going to regret this! I'm going to inject you with the same stuff as me, and I'm going to watch it fucking consume you! YOU HEAR ME?! FUCKING CONSUME YOU!"

Another vial smashed against the floor, as the prisoner became frantic.

"That won't be the end of it! No, then I'm going to steal your goddamn face! I hope you don't have anyone you care about, because if you do, they're going to suffer! I'm going to strip the skin off them bit by bit, all while wearing your face. Their last moments on this earth will be thinking you're the one causing them such agony!"

"Answers," Aizawa repeated, chucking a vial into the air, before catching it.

"I'm going to tear your whole class limb from limb, as they cry about how their awful teacher betrayed them!"

Another vial smashed against the ground.

"Two left."

"I'll make you pay! Both of you! I'm going to steal that trademark smile of yours, All Might, and I'm going to ruin it. Imagine how the world will react when their precious paragon starts murdering, stealing and torturing! The world will watch as you destroy it, and inspire a wave of terror and anguish like nothing you've ever seen! Do you hear me!?"

The kid moved frantically against his bindings, his veins beginning to turn from blue to black, standing in stark contrast to his pale skin. Aizawa lifted up the penultimate syringe, balancing it precariously on the end of his finger.

"That toxin's effect seems to be starting. I'd talk quickly if I was you!"

"I'll never talk!"

"Oh well," Aizawa shrugged, grabbing the second vial. "If that's the case, I'm wasting my time. Perhaps we'd be better suited to investigating through other means. Let's go, All Might."

"Yeah, now give me one of those vials… please. I need it," the boy begged, voice quivering.

"Oh, the vials? I already told you, you'd only have gotten those if you talked to us. Since you won't talk, you're useless to us. Might as well leave you die in here, one less threat to peace and justice."

Aizawa threw the two remaining vials into the air, stepping back as they plunged towards the hard floor.


	6. Chapter 7

Izuku Midoriya awoke lying on the cold floor, his body inflamed with pain once again. He spluttered, blackened ichor drooling from his mouth as he tried to stand. His legs buckled, as he knocked into the floor again.

"Prisoner 492, it is time to get up. We must resume Experiment 90132."

Memories of his first awakening flooded through his mind, as he looked to where the plastic cartoon of pills and the metal cup of water lay. He rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts… however, the pain made it almost impossible to focus on anything, and even if he could, what was there to think about? He didn't know where he was, he didn't know who had taken him. He'd just woken up here.

"Prisoner 492, please proceed to the pills and water that have been placed in your room and consume them both."

Midoriya managed to pull himself to his knees, resting his heavy body on the wall as he panted, staring at the pills in front of him.

"You're not going to break me," he muttered faintly.

"Prisoner 492, please proceed to the pills and water that have been placed in your room and consume them both. This is your first caution."

Midoriya panted for a moment, chest rising and falling as he gasped for breath.

"What colour are they?" a small, very faint voice sounded.

Midoriya froze, eyes scanning the cell for the source of the voice.

"The pills. What colour are they?"

"Who…?"

"That's not important. What colour are the pills?" the soft voice asked again.

"Prisoner 492, please proceed to the pills and water that have been placed in your room and consume them both. This is your second caution," the voice buzzed.

Midoriya ears swivelled, noticing the sound seemed to be coming out of one of the rusted pipes that criss-crossed above him. He looked down at the pills in the container, seeing large, oblong pills with an azure hue.

"They're… light blue."

"Oh, that's good, then. The light blue ones are OK, they help with the headaches a bit. You'll feel a bit more skittish, but trust me, they're better than another shock."

"Prisoner 492, please proceed to the pills and water that have been placed in your room and consume them both. This is your third and final caution."

Midoriya wondered what to do for a moment. The voice could've been from one of… whoever had brought him here. This could just be a trick to ensure he did what they said. But, for some reason, he just felt an urge to trust it. Midoriya crawled forward, grabbing the plastic cup and tipping it into the air, the azure oblongs falling down his throat. He grabbed the metal cup, pressing his lips against the rim as he greedily gulped down the cool water, feeling the dryness of his throat and his desperate thirst abiding for a moment.

"That's better," the loudspeaker said. "You may now resume as you were."

The loudspeaker's background static clicked off, as Midoriya panted for a moment, feeling no different. After a few seconds, he shakily leaned against the wall, standing as he pressed his lips to one of the pipes.

"Hello?" he asked with a shaky voice.

"I guess you must've taken the pills, then, huh?"

"Umm… yeah. Who are you?"

"My name's Hana. You?"

"I'm Izuku Midoriya. Wh-where am I?"

"They call it the facility. I don't know much else. None of us do."

"Us? Who else is here?"

"Oh, there's plenty of us. From what little outside this room I've seen, it's a big facility."

"What do they want from us? What are they doing? Who…?!"

"I know you've a lot of questions, but I'm afraid I don't have many answers. I've been here a few months, but I haven't gotten any answers. None of the others I've talked to know either."

"Can…?" Izuku started, before groaning from a sharp pain in his side.

"Don't worry, the pain gets better. It doesn't disappear, but it gets better."

"Can you talk to others through the pipes? Can we talk to other prisoners?"

"My pipe only connects to your cell."

"I need to find a way to contact my friends. They'll be able to…!"

"Stop. Please," the voice quivered through the pipes. "I know what it's like to be new here. But we've tried it. Everything. Breaking through the walls, ambushing the guards, crawling through the slot, pulling the door off… everything."

Midoryia's heart sank for a moment, as his foggy mind struggled to think of a plan.

"You keep saying 'we'. Are you talking about the person who had my cell before me?"

"I did know the boy who used to stay in your cell, but I'm not sure what happened to him. Still, I've talked to others here."

"How?"

"Sometimes they let us out into the yard to exercise, or we eat meals together, or they put us together for testing."

"Testing?"

"I'm not sure why they're keeping us here, but I think they're trying to investigate Quirks. Mostly, we just stay in our rooms, downing pills so they can study what they do to us. Sometimes, they force us to do tests, but they're always different. If we're good, they give us some luxuries. I got to eat meat last week."

"I'm not going to let them get away with this!"

"I know you're upset. But it's a lot easier if you just do what they say. They'll make you do it anyway. It's easier if you just let them."

"I… I can't do that," Izuku Midoriya answered. "I can't give up. My friends will come for me! I just need to stay strong!"

"I knew you'd say that. We all say the same thing… at first," Hana with a snivel. "I…"

You hear the faint, crackling voice of the speaker say something through the pipes.

"I have to go. Just… trust me. Do what the voices say. Please."

With that, Hana's voice stops coming through the pipes, as Midoriya collapsed against the wall, anguish overtaking him as he scratched aggressively at his burning skin.

"My friends are going to come… my friends are going to come… my friends are going to come…"

Izuku kept muttering that to himself until he passed into unconsciousness once more.


	7. Chapter 8

"I'll talk!" the boy screamed desperately, watching the black vials plummet towards the ground.

As quick as a flash, Aizawa's bandages shot out, wrapping around the vials mere centimeters away from the ground. The vials flew into the air as Aizawa grabbed them, leaning in close to the boy.

"That's better. Ready to talk?"

"Goddamn motherfuckers…" the boy muttered.

Aizawa held out the vials again, as the boy nodded.

"I'll talk, I'll talk. I promise."

"Good. See, Yagi? My ways always work," Aizawa smiled. "Now, kid, let's start with your name."

"James Bon…" the boy paused, noticing the cold, emotionless look in Aizawa's eyes. "My name is Makoto."

"Last name?"

"I don't have one," the boy replied.

"Wrong answer," Aizawa said, getting ready to hurl another vial against the ground.

"No, no! I'm not lying, I swear! Hook me up to a lie detector, get some truth-telling freak, please, I'm telling the truth!"

"I believe him, Shota," All Might responded.

"Alright," Aizawa shrugged, almost seeming disinterested. "Why don't you have a last name, Makoto?"

"I'm an orphan. I was in Fukushima Aiikuen Orphanage, you can search for me through their files."

"One moment," Aizawa said, pulling out his phone. "Normally, I'd have to fill out far too much paperwork for something like this, but I have my ways… and we're in! Let me see. You've a storied history, don't you, Makoto? Abandoned by both parents, raised by the state until the age of ten… and it seems from reading this, that you weren't exactly a model kid in school. You put a lot of kids in hospital, didn't you?"

Makoto smiles, teeth sharpened into points again.

"Oh, please. Every single one of those fuckers deserved what I did to them. Trust me."

"Seems you ran away at the age of eleven, took to the streets as an amateur villain… with a very, very impressive track record. Burglary, arson, assault, torture, kidnapping, murder… you've done a lot of awful things, haven't you?"

"Oh, please!" Makoto says, rolling his eyes. "Half that shit is bullshit! As soon as everyone hears a shapeshifting quirk is going about, they pin all that shit on you! Everyone's so eager to blame all their crimes on me. 'That's not me in the security camera footage, it must be that shapeshifter!' 'I didn't beat up my wife, that was the shapeshifter!' I didn't do anything!"

"Sure about that?" Aizawa asked, playing with the vials in his hands.

"You're some sick fuck, you know that? I'm being fucking hyperbolic! I ain't saying I'm completely innocent, mate. I've robbed a few stores, burned a couple places down, killed a few people! Is that what you wanted to hear? It happens! Big fucking deal! Those places I robbed had insurance! I guaran-fuckng-tee both of you have destroyed more buildings than I ever could, and every fucker I hurt deserved it!"

"They say you called yourself the Thing, huh? Interesting villain name."

"I liked it," Makoto shrugged. "It describes me well, since I can by any little thing under the sun with enough time to shift my old bones into place, and to be completely honest, John Carpenter was an inspiration. I've been trying to make a chest mouth for a while, but it just doesn't really work as well as I'd like."

"We need to find Midoriya, Aizawa," Yagi said.

"Fuck that, I ain't answering any more questions until you give me a vial!"

"That's not how this game works, I'm afraid," Aizawa answered. "Now, where is Midoriya?"

"I don't fucking know! I'm not lying, I swear, I just don't know," Makoto answered. "Probably in the Facility, if I had to guess, but you'd sooner see him dead than there. Trust me."

"What's the Facility, Makoto?"

"When I was… maybe fourteen, I disappeared. No one fucking noticed because people kept blaming me for shit I didn't do, but I did. Some creepy guy with glasses offered to take me back to his, give me a big meal and a packet of smokes. I was all skinned up as a little ten-year-old girl, so I thought he must've been some paedophile fuck. I went with him, of course. I was planning to cut him up when he tried anything. The bastard would've deserved it, so no harm done, you know?"

Makoto chuckled darkly, fear entering his eyes.

"That's when hell really started."

Over the next hour or so, Makoto told the teachers what he'd been through. He'd been imprisoned in an unknown facility and tested on for over two years. The kid had been force-fed a mixture of pills and drugs, although he wasn't sure why. There were others imprisoned there, although Makoto had no idea how many. For two years, he was starved and tortured both chemically and physically when he resisted, explaining the scars that cover his frail body. Aizawa listened patiently as the boy told his story, although the entire time, although he wondered if he'd get any real, valuable information. Makoto's story painted a horrifying view of what Makoto must be going through, but he didn't know any names, he didn't know any reasons, he didn't know any locations… it was clear his masters had known he might be caught, and ensured he didn't know anything of real value.

"Eventually, two of the guards came to me. Made me an offer: Use my powers to replicate some UA wanker so they could kidnap him, and I'd get freedom alongside one of the other prisoners, and a lifetime supply of vials. I didn't have any other options, so what could I fucking do? They wanted me to sneak in, pretend to be some prat and do some other shit."

"Do what, Makoto?" Yagi asked.

"Oh, just classic shit. Gather evidence, poison a few students, maybe kill a teacher or two. Before you ask, I didn't get around to any of it. They set me up with some magic darkness bastard to sneak me in."

"Some magic darkness bastard? Do you know anything about him?"

"Him? Dude wore a suit, and a metal neck brace thingy. Went by the name of Kurogiri, though I didn't catch a first name. Or surname, I'm not sure which was which. He wasn't one of the regulars, I think, probably outside help."

"Kurogiri," All Might muttered. "That means…"

"The League of Villains. They're either behind this, or allied with whoever is," Aizawa responded.

"Look, I've told you everything you want to fucking know. Am I getting out of here, or you going to let me writhe into dust anyway?"

The two teachers looked at Makoto for a moment.

"We can't let you leave. Not because I want to keep you trapped here, but because it's not safe. For you, for others, for anyone. You're on a dark path, Makoto. I want to help you turn it around."

Makoto muttered a swearword, scratching at his skin. His veins were noticeably a darker shade now, and he seemed to spasm and wince in pain every few seconds.

"Oh, come on now," Makato smiled, leaning back. "I won't cause any trouble. I pinky swear."

Makoto raised his left hand, wiggling the nub where his pinky finger once was, before chuckling darkly.

"We're going to do our best to find Midoriya. But I'm not going to forget about you. You need help, and I will be there for you, Makoto."

"Can the fucking shtick, asshole. I got less than a day's left with my remaining vials because of you pricks. Speaking of, where's my fucking syringe?"

"Aizawa," Yagi asked. "What are we planning to do about young Makoto's… illness?"

"Long term, we're going to need to find a cure to it. No doubt we'll find one when we find Midoriya. I'm sure they've injected him with the same stuff. As for short term, Makoto's current medicine should last him the next five days."

"It's twelve hours per vial, dickhead," Makoto growled.

Aizawa shook his head, throwing the last two remaining vials on the ground, where they smashed open.

"YOU FUCKING SCUM!" Makoto howled, tearing at his bindings as his teeth sharpened, his nails grew to claws and his body began contorting against his bindings. "I'll kill you!"

"I am still a hero, you know," Aizawa said, stepping out of the room for a moment.

Seconds later, he appeared carrying an identical metal box, flipping it open. Inside, eleven identical syringes sat.

"Did you really think I'd let a teenager die like that?"

"Fucking bastard," Makoto chuckled. "You're smarter than I thought. And a hell lot more prone to lying than I expected of a hero."

"It wasn't a lie. I prefer the term 'rational deception'," Aizawa smirks.

"I knew you had a plan, Aizawa," All Might replied, feeling relief as he saw the eleven syringes.

"Always do," Aizawa answered, as Makoto snatched a syringe, quickly injecting himself with the dark liquid as he let out a deep sigh.

"Sweet relief…" Makoto muttered. "Oh, that cools the blood."

"We need to get to work tracking down Kurogiri," Aizawa said.

"It ain't going to work, folks. The boys at the Facility even slightly figure out you're onto them, they'll burn the place to the ground, move the prisoners, kill that ain't worth moving and destroy any possibility of a trail. They've done it before. These aren't everyday lunatics who put on a costume and decided to blow up Japan. These are professionals. Cold, methodical, effective."

"We'll see about that," Aizawa replied. "Come on, Toshinori."

"You're just going to leave me here, huh?" Makoto asked. "Can you at least get me some more food? I'm fucking starving."

"We'll ensure you don't go hungry. I'll have someone bring by food for you soon, kid," Yagi responded.

"Sweet! I reckon asking for a pack of smokes is going to be too much, huh? The cravings are really hitting me. Maybe some porn mags…?"

The pair of teachers were out the door before Makoto had finished his sentence. As he was left alone in the empty room, he chuckled to himself.

"Fucking dickheads," he muttered. "Alright, let's see if this worked."

Makoto took a deep breath, before focusing all of his energy on bending his left pinky. For the briefest of moments, miles upon miles away, it twitched. Makoto gave a brief smile, feeling the slightest bit of sensation in his missing digit.

"Perfect," he chuckled. "Now I just need to find a way out of here."

For the next couple of minutes, Makoto attempted to use his powers to shift out of his bindings, but they constricted whenever he shrunk and were flexible enough to prevent him bursting out. He struggled against them, attempting to gnaw his way through. Eventually, through a strenuous and painful morphing of his body, he managed to slip through Aizawa's bindings, rolling to the floor with a heavy sigh of relief. He hurried over to the door, noting with a grin the security measures.

"Oh, this is too fucking easy. Finger scanner, eye-scanner and…" Makoto frowned noticing the key required to open the door. "They must've thought that would stop me, huh? Arrogant pricks."

Makoto quickly took on Aizawa's eyes and finger, staring into the scanner as he pressed his finger down. A cheerful beep confirmed his success, as he stared at the lock nervously.

"Just like pulling off a band-aid. Just like pulling off a band-aid," he muttered again and again to himself.

Makoto pressed his thumb against the keyhole, yelping as he forced his thumb bone to burst through his skin, releasing a trickle of blood. Makoto yelped in pain as his thumb bone continued growing, entering the lock and quickly readjusting itself to fit. With another growl of pain, Makoto twisted his hand, unlocking the door. He grinned as it swung open, stepping out into freedom.

"Bet those arrogant pricks didn't know I could do that," he smiled.

Quickly, Makoto shifted his ragged body back into Midoriya's form, feeling hunger pains shoot through his stomach.

"God, I need to find something to eat. And figure out a better skin disguise than this. Now that they know something's up with Midoriya, I'm going to have to knock someone ou…!"

"Deku!" a voice cried.

Makoto turned around to see Uraraka running towards him, quickly embracing him in a hug.

"I'm so glad to see you're OK!"

"Oh, this is way too easy," Makoto muttered, closing his lips to hide the shark-faced grin he had behind them.


	8. Chapter 9

Makoto hugged Uraraka back for a brief moment, before looking at her with a terrified look.

"Something… something very, very wrong is happening. We need to get out of here! Just, wait here, two seconds!"

Makoto quickly turned, hurrying the interrogation room to grab his vials before leading Uraraka down the hallway.

"It's the teachers… something's wrong with them. I think it's the League of Villans. I think it's something to do with these vials. Ever since I got them, I've been a different person. I only… I only really felt like myself when Mr Aizawa gave me a pill to swallow. He told me there's been a spate of brainwashings recently, from a quirk that could make a mind-controlling toxin, and that they'd developed an antidote to it, and the toxin is in the school."

"Oh my god!" Uraraka said, a worried look on her face. "We need to talk to Aizawa."

"We can't. He left to get some coffee from the teacher's lounge, and when he came back, he couldn't remember what we were talking about, and seemed different. He tried to get me to have some of the coffee."

"The toxin must be in there!"

"I think the teachers are already infected. We need to get out of here, fast. I managed to snag the location of the drug company that produces the antidote, we need to get there, get some and save the school!"

"You're right!" Uraraka nodded. "We need to get the others, though, they'll help!"

Makoto thought for a moment, wondering if that'd be worth. It would give him a team of heroes to manipulate and use for a while. That could be a very valuable asset. But, of course, he'd have to keep up the ruse for a little longer, which is always stressful to do that long term, and he didn't like the idea of trying to evade the whole class when he split from them. Better to just bring the girl, one ally he could use for a while, and when the time came, he could just get out of her view somewhere with a lot of people, and just slip away into the crowd as he changed skin.

"No, I don't think that's safe. Any of them could be brainwashed but hiding it to ambush us later on! We need to be quick, before the teachers leave and start causing havoc!"

"OK, but even if we don't tell the others, we could sneak into our rooms to grab the… well, you know."

"Umm… I don't know if that'd really be useful," Makoto responded, hoping his lack of knowledge didn't show.

"Izuku, this is the perfect time for it! We reserved it especially for situations like this!"

"Uh, sure, yeah, let's go for it," Makoto said. "Sorry, I'm just a bit nervous. Bits of that mind control serum are still going my system."

"It's OK. We'll be quick," Uraraka nodded, holding Makoto's hand tightly.

The two of them raced through the corridors of the school, quickly making their way through doors and stairwells of the school. Makoto tried to figure out which room Uraraka was leading him to, while trying to figure out what the secret could be. Firearms, perhaps. Some sort of Quirk-enhancing drug… no, Makoto wasn't thinking in the mindset of some preppy UA girl. She'd be too posh and idealistic to carry anything like that. It's probably something lame.

"Right in here," Uraraka said, moving towards

"Hey guys, Midoriya just came back from his chat with Mr Aizawa," Uraraka loudly announced, as they both stepped into a large student lounge, filled with the members of Class 1A who were talking and messing around.

"Oh, hey," Makoto said, scanning the room for Bakugo, who seemed more surprised than angry.

That was good. He could get what they needed before Bakugo had time to get angry and attack. He headed over to the

"It's under the table," Uraraka whispered, as Makoto went over to the table in the back, looking underneath for a package or something.

"Hey, are you sure it's here?" Makoto asked, looking up to see the entirety of Class 1A staring at him. "What?"

Suddenly, Uraraka slammed her fist into his stomach. Makoto winced in pain, vomiting up black bile onto the floor. Uraraka grabbed him by the colour and flung him into the air. Makoto slammed into the ceiling, gravity not having kicked in no doubt due to her quirk. Makoto saw the ground explode with fire, as Bakugo flew into the air, slamming his fists against Makoto in an explosion, before sending him spiralling to the ground. Bakugo landed atop Makoto as gravity kicked in again, Bakugo's hand roughly grabbing Makoto by the neck.

"You're not the real Deku, are you?" Bakugo growled.

"Well, fuck, this didn't go my way," Makoto chuckled with a grin. "To be fair, you're not a real man, so I guess we're both lying about shit, huh?"

Bakugo slammed Makoto against the floor, eyes alight with flames.

"Show us your real form, shifter!" he growled.

"OK, OK, jeez. I guess Eraserhead told you I was prowling about, huh?" Makoto answered, shifting into the form of a tanned, particularly handsome teen. "Happy now?"

"No use revealing your hand just yet," he thought to himself.

"One of us needs to go inform the teachers," Tenya said.

"Wait, wait, just listen," Makoto said. "Afterwards, you'll be free to go tell the teachers whatever you think you should."

"We can't trust him. He does nothing but lie," Uraraka glared.

"Alright, that's a bit mean. I mostly lie, because I'm pragmatic, and as a shapeshifter, lying is often a pretty pragmatic thing to do."

"He could answer a few of our questions. Figure out where Midoriya is," Todoroki said.

"Oh, trust me, I can make him answer a few questions," Bakugo said.

"I'll be honest here, I'm not your enemy. I might not be your friend, but we're still on the same side of this."

"Tell us where Midoriya is, creep!" Uraraka shouted.

"OK, long story short, I'm a guinea pig for some secret organization of villains. They took that friend of yours and left me in their place to spy a bit. That bit didn't go too well, and now All Might and Eraserhead are going to track down a lead, follow the trial and go wipe them out."

"Sounds like the problem's sorted. Why shouldn't we tell the teacher, exactly?" Jiro asked.

"Well, there's where the problem lies. See, those guys who sent me aren't risk takers. Trust me. As soon as they realize who's on their trail, they are gong full clean-out. Trust me, the prisoners are getting shot, the buildings getting burned to the ground and the staff are relocating. They'll be up and running again in a couple of years like nothing ever happened."

Makoto looked at the angry faces staring down at him. He'd been in many a situation like this, but these heroes had a reputation. He'd seen clips of them at that class games thing when the Facility were preparing him for this. He had to be smart.

"I don't really care about stopping them. Who knows, maybe All Might and the heroes might actually catch them. However, they'll never save the prisoners or stop them before the relocation. If you want your friend to survive, you're going to have to come with me. I know a quick way to get their and save Midoriya."

"We can't trust him," Kirishima said. "He'd betray us first chance we get."

"Of course. We could just explain the situation to the teachers," Tenya said.

"That ain't going to work, people," Makoto said. "The teachers won't let me take the risks I need to for this to work, and to be honest, I ain't going to tell them. If I go with a bunch of heroes, I'll never have a chance to escape and hit the road."

"Why would you want to help us?" Tokoyami asked.

"Because, as the sweet Uraraka will point out, I was real sick earlier until I got my syringes. I'm sick. I'm sick, and the only permanent cure is at that place. If you guys really want to help your friend, I'm your best shot. With your powers and strength, and my inside knowledge, we can get the cure, free the prisoners and call the heroes. You get your friend back, I get my freedom."

"What if he's right?" Uraraka asks hesitantly.

"I fucking am right!"

"We can't trust him," Tenya said. "We know he'll lie to escape!"

"Wait a second! You could just get Yajima Maya from 1-C. Not a bad idea, right?"

"Who the hell is that?" Bakugo growls.

"Jeez, is this whole class really that self-deluded?" Makoto chuckles. "Haven't you heard of the other hero classes?"

"Yajima Maya," Tenya Iida said. "She's a quiet girl, but her quirk, Confessions, her superpower, forces people to tell the truth."

"Yeah, exactly. Grab her, verify what I said, then you'll know you have no other choice but to trust me."

"Even if he's telling the truth, we can't just help a criminal escape," Yoyorozu said.

"Look, your friend is in trouble. You might not believe me now, but you will in a moment. I'm the only chance you got."

"We need to act fast!" Bakugo growled. "Kirishima, Kaminari, go find the truth girl, bring her here."

"We haven't agreed to this!" Iida said, a worried look appearing on his face.

"I don't give a shit what you agree to! I'm find Deku and I'm breaking him out! Then, I'm kicking this mutant freak's ass! Then, I'm kicking Deku's ass, and then we can see who wants to agree about what, capiche?!"

Bakugo growled at Denki and Eijiro, and the two boys headed off running.

"I suppose we just wait here to see what he says, right, guys?" Minoru Mineta said nervously, looking at Bakugo as he shook with fear.

"Yeah… I know someone else I want to check in with first," Uraraka said. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Come on, Tsu."

"You got it," Tsuyu answered, before giving a croak.

As the four left, Makoto stared awkwardly at his third group of captors in twenty four hours.

"Uh… anyone know how to play chess?" Makoto asked. "Bit of poker?"


	9. Chapter 10

Kurogiri had been tracked to a hotel room only a couple dozen miles from the Academy. It took the police department hours of combing through CCTV footage, but they'd picked up his trail in the Ritz, where he'd disappeared inside. Checking with the hotel, only one room was being paid entirely with cash on a night-by-night basis. That's exactly where Yagi was heading, alongside the famed Gran Torino himself.

The pair of heroes walked down the hotel hallways, steps heavy against the hotel floors.

"He's growing sloppy," Yagi said. "This isn't like Kurogiri."

"He's got a Warp quick. When you always have an untraceable escape route, you don't tend to hide your tracks through the physical realm," Torino replied. "This is the room."

"Let's do it!" All Might said, the form of the hero taking over as his muscles burst into existence alongside his famous smile. "We have to find Midoriya!"

All Might smashed through the door with incredible power, as Gran Torino quickly charged through after him, flying in with a superspeed kick. Kurogiri was taken by surprise, Torino's boot slamming into his back. However, as he fell, he opened a Warp Gate on the ground, falling through it.

"He's mine!" All Might yelled, grabbing the villain by his armoured neck and flinging him against the ceiling.

Gran Torino quickly leapt forward, fist smashing into the villain. Kurogiri was sent cracking against the massive mirror that looked out onto the city, where he slumped against the glass with a groan. As the two heroes stepped towards him, he held up his hands, palm out.

"Hold on, hold on. There's no need for anymore violence. I'll tell you what you want to know."

"Where's Izuku Midoriya?" All Might shouted.

"He's…" Kurogiri began, before he kicked backwards, shattering the glass behind him.

With that, Kurogiri stepped backwards, plummeting straight out of the window.

"Dammit!" All Might yelled.

Gran Torino leaped out after him, quirk sending him barrelling towards the falling villain, who had begun immersing himself in his dark fog.

"Don't let him get away!" Toshinori shouted, as Gran Torino raced down towards the ground, boots ready to smash Kurogiri out of the way. The two grew closer and closer, as dark fog continued to spread and envelop his target. Gran Torino's boot raced closer and closer, until…

A loud crack sounded off, as Gran Torino smashed into the tarmac below, a burst of Jet the only thing keeping him from turning into the pancake. As the smoke quickly dispersed, Kurogiri was gone.

"Damn Warp powers," Gran Torino muttered. "This hero work is a young man's game."

Gran Torino jumped into the air, jet activating as he quickly flew upwards to the hotel room. He landed in among the broken class for a second, looking at the symbol of peace as he shook his head.

"No luck, I'm afraid," Gran Torino said. "Bastard used his Warp power."

"Damn! I knew we should've brought Aizawa!" All Might yelled.

"Aizawa had his own lead to follow. A lead that I would say is more promising. You don't think so, Toshinori?"

"We'll see," All Might answered, brow furrowed.

"There still seems to be some valuable evidence here. We should search through it, see what we can find," Gran Torino said, nodding towards the laptops that were scattered around the room.

"He's certainly using them for something," Toshinori responded. "I need to call Aizawa, see how that's working."

Toshinori shifted into his regular form, fumbling through his pockets for his cell-phone and sliding it out. Quickly, he rang up Aizawa.

"Fruitful and disappointing," Aizawa answered simply.

"How exactly is it both, Shota?" Toshinori asked.

"I think I've gotten a lead straight to the Facility they were talking about," Shota Aizawa. "It'll take a couple of hours, though, at least."

"Thank god. Kurogiri got away, but there seems to be a good chance we'll find some sort of evidence here. But, what's disappointing, exactly?"

"I shouldn't have gotten into teaching," Aizawa replied, before the phone line clicked off.

"He hung up on me," All Might said, admittedly somewhat annoyed.

"Aizawa never was a social one, was he?" Gran Torino chuckled. "The police should be following up here shortly. Let them comb through whatever's here, see what we can find."

"I suppose. For now, we head back to UA to check in on Aizawa's plan."


	10. Chapter 11

Midoriya lay against the cold metal bed, fading in and out of consciousness. It had been… a couple of hours, since his last pills. Maybe. Midoriya was struggling intensely with time-keeping. Every minute felt like an hour, every hour felt like eternity. He'd already searched every bit of the room for clues, an escape route, for something. The walls and floors were covered with deep gouge marks, as if something with claws had attempted to slash its way out, but there wasn't anything else of interest. Eventually, Midoriya crawled over to the pipe again, laying against the wall, resting for a second. He heard a faint tapping sound coming through the pipes, pressing his ear against it.

"Hello? Are you still there?"

"Oh, I'm always here," Hana answered back.

"You never leave the cell?"

"Well… not anymore. I've been stuck in here for so long, I can't even remember when I got here."

"It can't have been too long, right?" Midoriya asked hopefully.

A sad laugh answered hm.

"Oh, longer than you could imagine, Izuku."

"How… how do you not lose hope?" Midoriya asks. "I'm already going in crazy in here, waiting for my friends to show up and rescue me."

"Oh, in here, you'll lose hope and sanity pretty quickly. They come and go, for me. All we can really do is sit around and hope for that rescue, I suppose."

Another sad laugh. Midoriya thought it was the laugh of someone who'd been troubled for a very, very long time.

"My friends will come, you know," Midoriya said. "We'll get out of here soon, I promise."

"Maybe," the voice answered. "I can't say I have a lot of hope for that, I'm afraid. I really hope they do come and get you out of here."

"I won't leave you here. I won't," Midoriya said, determined.

"Thanks," the sad voice answered back.

There was a moment of silence, as Midoriya wondered just how long that girl had been trapped in there, waiting for rescue.

"Ummm… Hana?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you keep tapping against the pipe?"

"Oh," Hana answered. "That's not me. That's… well, it's a long story."

"We're not doing anything else. Care to tell it?" Izuku asked.

"Sure, I guess. It's about the boy who was there before you. A shapeshifter."

"What could he shapeshift into?" Midoriya asked, staring at the deep gouges in the metal. "Was it like a werewolf?"

"I'm not sure. I never saw him, but from what he said, he could morph his body whatever way he pleased, as long as it was made up of the same things a human's made up of, and the same rough size. He was… well, a brave one, at least. He always hated the guards. And the cell. And most of the other prisoners. And… well, Makoto hated most things, to be honest."

"Makoto? Was that his name?"

"Yeah, it was. He was a good kid, at heart. I think. It was sort of hard to tell. He seemed real angry, almost all the time. Kept promising me he'd break out, kill everyone responsible for putting us here and get us both out of here. It was sort of sweet. Sort of. Well, sweet enough for him."

"Sounds like a nice guy," Midoriya said.

"Kinda. He used to tell stories to me. Not about himself, but he'd make them up. His quirk meant he was really good at doing the voices. It was nice. Besides that, all he ever did was swear, make threats or talk about some girl he'd fallen for."

"Was it you?" Midoriya asked bashfully, eliciting a laugh that was sweeter than sad.

"Nah. It was one of the other prisoners, I think. I couldn't really tell. That's why he… well, that's why there's that tapping."

"What is it?" Midoriya asked. "Is it… did he die in here? Is… is it his ghost?"

Hana laughed again.

"You're funny, Izuku. Although I suppose stranger things have happened. Even the truth's stranger, I guess."

"So what happened?"

"The Facility offered him a mission, with the chance to get out of here. Of course, he knew in the real world, he'd have no idea how to ever find this place if he needed to. So, he needed a way to do so."

"What did he do?"

"Tell me, Izuku, how many senses do we have?"

"Umm… five," Midoriya answered, confused by the question. "Taste, touch, smell, sight, smell."

"That's the classic answer, but it's not actually true. Those are our main senses, but we have others. There are receptors that detect levels of oxygen in certain arteries, and neuron senses that sense movement to control balance. But what's important here is proprioception."

"I know what that is. It's how we know where our body parts are, like how we can always touch our noses without missing."

"Yeah, exactly. Makoto's quirk gave him really, really good proprioception. So, he decided to make a bit of a sacrifice and use my perk to come up with a plan. Speaking of, what's your perk, Izuzu? It must be pretty interesting to get you locked up here, huh?"

"It's…" Midorya began, before pausing.

"I can't just reveal All Might's secret," Midoriya thought. "I have to lie. I'm sorry, Hana."

"It's called Superpower. Basically, it lets me power my body to perform incredible feats."

"Cool. Mine's called Time Bubble. Basically, I can mess with time, but only for a small area, maybe the size of a room. I can fast forward my movements in my bubble, or slow down opponents. I can even rewind time for up to an hour… but it takes an hour to recharge, so it isn't ideal, but still. Anyway, Makoto came up with a plan to find his way back here, so he could help us get out of here. He… well, it wasn't pretty. He bit off his pinky finger."

"He… what?" Midoriya asked, aghast.

"He tore off his pinky and slipped it into the vents. With my time bubble power, I've kept it fresh and alive, rewinding the last hour again and again and again so it's completely fresh. He's going to use his proprioception to find it, and thus, find the facility."

"And that's what's tapping?"

"Yeah," Hana said. "It's tapping a lot, actually. I hope Makoto's trying to find his way back. The others deserve a life outside of this place."

"And you don't?"

"Oh, I'm sure I do too… but its just not feasible anymore. All I can do it wait for the inevitable."

"Don't talk like that! I'll get us out. My friends, or Makoto, or All-Might… someone's going to come and we'll both get out of here!"

"Yeah… definitely."

Midoriya held the same static announcement he'd heard earlier bounce through the pipes.

"I have to go now," Hana said faintly. "I'll have to rewind again soon, keep the finger fresh. It takes a bit of focus, so don't worry if I'm quiet for a while. Try to rest. I'm sure they'll be testing you soon. You're new meat, they'll be excited to play with you."

"I… OK, Hana. If you're sure."

"Thanks, Midoriya. Get some sleep. I'll talk soon."

With that, the faint voice quietened down. Tired and unwell, Midoriya pressed his forehead against the wall, exhausted, as the tapping intensified ever so slightly.


	11. Chapter 12

"Lie," Yajima Maya said in her soft, quiet tone.

"That wasn't a fucking lie! That was sarcasm!" Makoto snarled. "There's a difference!"

Over the past fifteen minutes, almost all of what Makoto had said had been verified by Yajima's quirk. Surprisingly, the quiet girl had been strangely willing to go along with the plan. Uraraka wondered if she'd had some small crush on Izuku, given how willing she was to help upon learning that he was in trouble.

"Where's the facility located, Makoto?" Uraraka asked, as Maya pressed her finger against Makoto's temple.

"Fuck's sake! I answered this!"

"Answer it again," Todoroki said, calm but stern.

"I don't know! I'm able to figure out the general direction of it through my Quirk, but I don't know unless I head there myself."

"Truth," Maya answered.

"So, if we head there with you, you'll be able to lead us to the Facility?"

"Yeah, that's it," Makoto nodded, his answer confirmed with a word from Maya.

"Do you honestly think if we don't go with you, our teachers won't be able to save Midoriya?"

"I know so," Makoto answered. "I'm the only way Midoriya's going to live."

"Truth… or at least, he thinks he knows," Maya answered.

The room was silent for a moment, the class clearly contemplating this news.

"See? You gotta take me up on this plan. Now, can we stop wasting time and get going?"

Todoroki stepped forward, staring at Makoto.

"How do we know you won't betray us the first chance you get?"

Makoto opened his mouth, before pausing as he looked to Maya's finger on his temple.

"Alright, you want the truth? I'm definitely going to betray you whenever it suits me, ditch your asses and head off on my own. But for the time being, we share interests. We both want to get to the Facility and break in, so for the time being, you're my allies. Fair?"

Class 1A looked to Maya for a moment.

"Truth."

"See? I'm not a bad guy! We can be friends!" Makoto said.

"Lie."

"Oh, fuck off! That doesn't count, I'm trying to be friendly! I want to be friends with them, I just don't think they'll accept me," Makoto said.

"Lie."

"I hate you so much, lie detector."

"Truth," Maya responded, almost amused by his answer.

"Damn right it is. So, what do you say, guys?" Makoto smiled at the class, trying to appear friendly.

He didn't come across as it.

"We need to discuss this," Uraraka said. "Then, we should take a vote."

"Oh fuck me, you guys are so fucking boring!" Makoto complained.

"Truth."

"We can't let him out! He's dangerous!" Minoru said nervously.

"You're a tiny fuck and you'll die a virgin," Makoto snarled, as Minoru stepped back, quivering.

"Truth," Maya answered again.

"You know what?" Makoto said, turning to Maya. "I'm starting to like you."

"Sero, shut him up, would you?" Bakugo snarled.

Sero's tape shot around Makoto's mouth. He sighed through his bandages, leaning back for a moment as the class began to talk. He zoned out for a moment, waiting as they began to argue.

"God, I need a cigarette," Makoto muttered to himself. "I haven't had one in way too long."

After a few moments of daydreaming, a sharp kick smacked into Makoto's side, eliciting a grown. He looked up, seeing Bakugo snarling above him, one hand-held high in the air.

"What?" Makoto asked, before looking at the class around him.

Around half the class had their hands raised in the air, the others looking worried. By the looks of it, hands raised meant they were voting to go with him. No doubt Bakugo wouldn't ever turn down the chance of adventure. Makoto's eyes flashed across the room, counting quickly.

Of the hands raised, there was Mina Ashido, Tsuyu Asui Ochaco Uraraka, Denki Kaminari, Eijiro Kirishma, Hana Sero, Fumikage Tokotami, Shoto Todorokia and Katsuki Bakugo.

Of the hands lowered, there was Yuga Aoyama, Tenya Iida, Mashirao Ojiro, Koji Koda, Rikido Sato, Mezo Shoji, Kyoka Jiro, Minoru Mineta and Momo Yaoyorozu.

"So that's… nine each, huh," Makoto said. "So… we go?"

"Without a majority vote, we can't go. We have to trust the teachers," Tenya Iida said.

"We have to go!" Bakugo shouted. "I need to save Deku so I can kick his ass and show him I'm better than him!"

"I promised not to interfere should the vote turn against me, as did you. Without a majority vote, we can't…"

"Um, guys?" a voice asked.

Makoto's eyes flickered to a space of empty air, where a bracelet dangled in the air, completely on it's own accord.

"I'm voting to go!" Toru Hagakure said, as Makoto laughed.

"Excellent!" Makoto said. "Let's go then!"

"We'll need some people to stay behind, cover for us while we're gone."

"I work best in smaller groups anyway, and I can't be dealing with those who aren't up for this task. Bring those who wanted to go. No one else," Makoto suggested.

"No, we can't…!" Tenya started, as the group broke into arguments yet again.

"Fuck's sake…" Makoto snarled, leaning back again and letting them argue.

The group argued for a while, but the outcome was clear. They'd all agreed to honour the vote, and they all knew the importance of the task at hand. Eventually, it was agreed. The nine who voted to remain who stay behind, and cover for those who were missing. How long Tenya or Minoru would be able to go without confessing to a teacher out of shame for the former and out of fear for the latter would be up for debate, and Makoto was shocked they hadn't even noticed his escape yet. Still, they hadn't yet, so he had time.

"Tenya, my dear boy, I'm going to need you to lay low for a bit," Makoto smiled, his face shifting to match Tenya's shocked expression, as the shapeshifter supressed a giggle. "Now, let's… Ah!"

Uraraka jammed a small needle gun into Makoto's arm.

"The hell was that for?"

"That's a tracking device, courtesy of our dear friend Hatsume. She's happily lent me a half dozen chips."

"Why? You only need one… ouch!"

Uraraka jammed the needle into the Thing another five times, implanting the remaining microchips deep into the shapeshifter's flesh.

"The fun thing about these is that on command, I can start these things burning. So, know that if you're planning any betrayals, even if you get away, we can burn holes in your body."

"Alright, sweetheart, whatever you say," Makoto smiled.

Uraraka smiled darkly, pulling an electronic tablet from her back pocket, quickly opening up an app on it.

"Um… sorry?" Makoto said.

With the press of a button, Makoto felt the six chips inside of him begin to burn, slowly at first, but quickly growing worse.

"OK, OK! I get it, I'll be good!" Makoto said, holding his hands up sheepishly. "Now, are we ready?"


End file.
